Sailing & Wildlife Watching in Skye & the Small Isles

Sailing Skye & the Small Isles: Setting Off from Ullapool

Ullapool → Isle of Skye → Canna → Rum → Eigg → Mallaig

Begin your voyage in the harbour town of Ullapool on Scotland’s northwest coast, a characterful port town and one of Zuza’s home bases on the west coast. From here, she sets sail south through some of the most breathtaking and varied coastal scenery in Europe. 

The wind and tide will shape the exact itinerary, and Zuza’s crew know every hidden anchorage and off-the-beaten-track spot on this coastline intimately. The main focus of this sailing Skye and Small Isles adventure is to make the most of both the iconic and the lesser-known spots, dropping anchor and going ashore to explore on foot. Zuza aims to go ashore at least once a day, sailing in the mornings and exploring the islands in the afternoons.

The Isle of Skye: Anchorages & Landscapes

Few places in Britain stop guests in their tracks quite like the Isle of Skye, and approaching it by sea makes it all the more arresting. The Cuillin mountain range rises from the water in a dramatic serrated ridge, and anchoring in Loch Scavaig at the foot of the Cuillins is one of those genuinely extraordinary sailing experiences that guests carry with them long after they’ve returned home. The surrounding peaks, the loch’s stillness, and the sense of complete remoteness combine to create something very difficult to find anywhere else.

Beyond Loch Scavaig, Skye offers endless opportunities to explore its shores, hidden sea lochs, picturesque fishing villages, and the famous Storr outcrop visible from the water. Arriving at Skye by sail gives a different quality entirely from the road. 

The Small Isles: Canna, Rum & Eigg

South of Skye, the Small Isles archipelago opens up with four islands, each with its own entirely distinct character, all best explored by boat.

Canna is the most westerly and, in many ways, the most peaceful of the group. Canna has been looked after by the National Trust for Scotland since 1981. Its high basalt cliffs and dramatic volcanic landscapes are a haven for seabirds including a resident puffin colony on the cliffs at Sanday. You can get closer to the birds than almost anywhere else in Scotland without alarming them. It’s a quietly extraordinary place, with a community of just twelve permanent residents.

Rum is the largest island in the archipelago and a designated National Nature Reserve. Its volcanic peaks, hidden lochs, and rugged coastline make it one of the finest walking islands on the west coast. The island’s famous residents include sea eagles reintroduced in the 1980s, a large population of red deer, and the hardy Rum ponies that roam freely near Kinloch. The striking red sandstone of Kinloch Castle is an extravagant Edwardian pile built by a wealthy industrialist. It sits uninhabited at the head of Loch Scresort, a fascinating piece of island history.

Eigg is perhaps the most celebrated of the Small Isles and is famous for its distinctive pitchstone ridge, the Sgùrr, which rises like the backbone of some prehistoric creature. It rewards those who climb it with sweeping views across to Skye, Rum, and Mull. Eigg is also the only fully sustainable island in the Hebrides, running entirely on its own renewable electricity grid – a remarkable achievement for a community of around 100 people. With over 200 recorded bird species and almost no light pollution, the stargazing from the deck here is exceptional on a clear night.

Wildlife of the Small Isles & Skye

Sailing Skye and the Small Isles with Zuza puts you in a remarkable position for wildlife. The wildlife on this stretch of Scotland’s west coast is undisturbed and extraordinary, and what you encounter will depend on the season, the conditions, and a certain amount of good fortune.

White-tailed eagles are among the most thrilling sightings. Rum was one of the original reintroduction sites in the 1980s, and both sea eagles and golden eagles are now regularly seen soaring above the island’s peaks. Otters work the rocky shorelines of the more sheltered sea lochs, and red deer are a constant presence on Rum and Canna. In the skies, black guillemots, razorbills, kestrels, and the elusive merlin all make appearances throughout the voyage.

On the water, common, bottlenose, and white-beaked dolphins are frequently encountered alongside the boat, and harbour porpoises are a near-constant companion in the sheltered channels. Minke whales are the most reliably sighted cetacean in these waters.

Life Aboard Expedition Yacht Zuza

Zuza is a modern expedition yacht purpose-built for live-aboard comfort. With a double hull and simple rig, she is notably smooth and steady on the water, making her an excellent choice for guests who may be new to sailing or who simply want to enjoy the scenery without the motion of a more traditional vessel. Her undercover wheelhouse means sailing continues comfortably, whatever the Scottish weather brings.

Below decks, eight guests sleep in four private cabins: two double-ensuite cabins and two twin-berth cabins sharing a bathroom. The spacious saloon is the heart of the boat, a comfortable, welcoming space for getting to know fellow guests, swapping stories, and enjoying delicious food prepared by the onboard chef. Guest participation in sailing is entirely optional, though warmly encouraged for those who want to learn the ropes.

• Cabins: Two private double ensuite cabins, two private twin-berth cabins
• Meals: Full board – delicious food prepared daily by the onboard chef
• Sailing style: Fully crewed – participation optional but always welcome
• Wildlife: Quiet approach specifically suited to close wildlife encounters
• Suitability: Solo travellers, couples, small groups and private charters

Things to note

Sailing vs Shore time

Do I need to take part in night watches?

Are there midges in Scotland?

Travel insurance notes

As this is an active adventure holiday, we advise that everyone has the appropriate personal accident travel insurance whilst onboard in addition to standard travel insurance which would cover you in the time between making your booking and departing for your adventure. These policies can sometimes be combined so please check with your travel insurance provider.

Please read more information on our Insurance guidelines page.

This voyage will likely be more than 12 miles offshore.